The concepts, theory, practice, and key thinkers of social policy are described in this thorough reference. Essays range from 200 words to 3000, with 734 essays in all. Among the longer essays are those on the social policy of different countries, including Sweden, China, India, and Egypt. Other entry topics include terms such as indirect wages and indexing, religions, among them Hinduism and Buddhism, and major concepts such as class and charity. Many of the essays are biographical. Most entries include lists of further reading and cross references. There are 284 contributors, from Europe, Asia, and English-speaking countries.